Suazo, 31, took part in protests against President Daniel Ortega’s government in his hometown of Masaya in 2018, as part of a statewide wave of unrest in which 355 people were killed by police forces. According to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH), he was sentenced to ten years in prison on Wednesday. Come down to find out who Yubrank Suazo is and why he was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Who is Yubrank Suazo? Wikipedia, Family
Suazo 31 hails from the southern city of Masaya. He rose to prominence during the 2018 protests against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, when he read a proclamation declaring Masaya (Pacific) a “territory free from the dictator,” referring to the Sandinista leader who has ruled Nicaragua since 2007.
Despite the fact that “he is a beneficiary of preventive measures given by the IACHR (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR),” claimed Cenidh, the opposition leader was sentenced.
“This is the second time that he has been imprisoned while being innocent, the first time occurred in 2018, and both processes have been riddled with irregularities and violations of his human rights,” denounced the Nicaraguan Never Again Human Rights Collective.
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Why was Yubrank Suazo sentenced to 10 years in prison?
Judge Ulisa Tapia Silva handed down the punishment in Managua. He was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to damage national integrity and another five years for spreading fake news, as well as a $1,500 fine, according to the group.
On July 27, Daniel Ortega’s legal system condemned political prisoner Yubrank Suazo to ten years in prison and a $1560 fine for the claimed crimes of “conspiracy to harm” national security and “spreading fake news,” according to his defense counsel, Mynor Curtis.
On July 15, Suazo was found guilty by judge Ulisa Yahoska Tapia Silva in a political trial in which the prosecution presented two witnesses, both police personnel from the El Chipote interrogation cell.
A #Nicaragua court sentenced opposition leader Yubrank Suazo to 10 years in prison on conspiracy charges and for spreading fake news.https://t.co/mYVHkkSZbQ
— DW Freedom (@dw_freedom) July 28, 2022
According to attorney Curtis, the documentary “evidence” featured an open information extraction report on social networks. The prosecution cited retweets and three videos that Suazo shared on social media, one of which was an interview with the priest Harving Padilla on the Article 66 platform during the days he was under police siege at the San Juan Bautista Church in Masaya.
When was Yubrank Suazo sentenced for the first time?
Yubrank was imprisoned for the first time in 2018 and charged with terrorism, attempted murder, threats with weapons, and obstructing public services. He was released in June 2019 along with other political prisoners under a contentious Amnesty Law drafted by the Ortega administration.
🔴URGENTE| CENIDH informa que @SuazoYubrank, detenido arbitrariamente la mañana de este miércoles ha sido trasladado a la DAJ nuevo Chipote, así informó la policía de Masaya a sus familiares. Aún se desconoce su estado físico. EXIGIMOS LIBERTAD Y RESPETO A SU INTEGRIDAD PERSONAL. pic.twitter.com/LG7OHUexOW
— Cenidh (@cenidh) May 18, 2022
Yubrank Suazo Parents, Family, Sister, Wife
Suazo’s family visit, set for July 27th, was moved earlier by the National Penitentiary System, known as La Modelo, because it clashed with the reading of his punishment. Wilfredo Suazo, the opposition activist’s father, revealed that his mother and sister were able to visit the member of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy on Tuesday, July 26, after he had been missing for nearly two months since his kidnapping on May 18, in Masaya.
Because they only admit two persons, his father was unable to enter on this initial visit. During the trial hearing, he was able to speak with his son for ten minutes. Suazo stated that his kid is doing well and that he sent a message of strength to the family, encouraging them to stay healthy and pray for him.
The gathering was “extremely emotional, warm,” he said, with Yubrank eager to learn more about his relatives and acquaintances. His father stated that they saw he was a little slimmer, but that it was “understandable” given the surroundings of a prisoner. “Affliction causes weight loss,” he claims. He stated that in the prison, his meds were received and given to him.